1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to extraction cleaners. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a portable hand-held extraction cleaner with an agitation brush. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a portable hand-held extraction cleaner with a turbine-driven agitation brush. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a portable hand-held extraction cleaner with a removable recovery tank and a motor-driven agitation brush.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable, hand-held extraction cleaners having a cleaning solution supply tank and a recovery tank are known. These extraction cleaners typically have a vacuum motor that powers an impeller to create low pressure on one side of the impeller and higher pressure on the other side thereof. The recovery tank is typically positioned between the low-pressure side of the impeller and a fluid collection nozzle to remove fluid from a surface and deposit it in the recovery tank. It is also known to provide a separate cleaning solution pump for directing cleaning solution from the supply tank to the surface.
One hand-held extraction cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,738 issued to Monson et al. on Dec. 6, 1988. In this arrangement, a hand-held extraction cleaner has a handle section removably joined to a lower discharge section. A collection chamber receives fluid from a surface through a nozzle opening that communicates with the intake side of a vacuum motor. The collection tank houses a hollow plenum chamber and a centrifugal separator attached to a vacuum blower. A cleaning-fluid tank is pressurized by exhaust air from the outlet side of the rotating vacuum blower to force cleaning fluid under pressure from the cleaning fluid tank to a supply nozzle when a solution supply trigger is depressed to thereby apply cleaning fluid to a surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,740 issued to McCray on Nov. 29, 1994, discloses a hand-held extraction cleaner that includes a housing, a handle, a body portion, and a nozzle with a suction opening. A collection tank is removably supported on the housing and is fluidly connected through a separator to a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump has an exhaust port and is powered by an electric pump motor. A solution tank is removably connected to the housing and is pressurized by a pressure pump that is also connected to the pump motor. A separate drive motor is coupled to a rotatable brush for scrubbing a surface to be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,176 issued to Lessig, III et al. on Dec. 15, 1981, discloses an air-powered vacuum cleaner floor tool including a housing having an air-powered turbine motor and a rotary floor agitator. The rotary floor agitator is coupled to and driven by the turbine motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,864 issued to Miller et al. on Feb. 9, 1999, discloses a hand-held extractor nozzle having a pair of rotary scrub brushes, each having a vertical axis, and powered by an air turbine having an ambient air inlet and an outlet in communication with a suction tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,498 issued to Roberts et al. on Oct. 3, 2000, and having common ownership with this application, discloses a hand-held extraction cleaner including a cleaning fluid supply system for supplying a cleaning fluid to a surface and a fluid recovery system including a source of suction fluidly connected to the surface through a cleaning fluid recovery tank assembly. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A hand-held liquid extraction cleaner for cleaning a surface comprises a cleaner housing, a liquid extraction system including a vacuum source mounted to the cleaner housing, a liquid dispensing system mounted to the cleaner housing, a rotatably mounted agitation brush for agitating the surface to be cleaned and a motor operably connected to the agitation brush for rotatably driving the brush. According to the invention, the motor is a turbine motor that is operably connected to the vacuum source for driving the turbine motor with the vacuum source and the cleaner housing, the liquid extraction system, the liquid dispensing system, the agitation brush, and the motor constitute a unit that can be carried and operated with a single hand.
The liquid extraction cleaner is of the type in which a handle is mounted on the cleaner housing to facilitate carrying and operating the unit during use.
In a preferred embodiment, the recovery tank is removably mounted to the cleaner housing. The agitation brush is mounted to the recovery tank for rotation with respect thereto. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the turbine motor is also mounted to the recovery tank so that the agitation brush and turbine motor are removable with the recovery tank from the cleaner housing.
The liquid extraction system includes a recovery tank that has an inlet opening at an upper portion thereof and is connected through a suction conduit to a vacuum source for delivery of liquid and debris from the suction nozzle into the recovery tank.
Further according to the invention, a hand-held liquid extraction cleaner has a cleaner housing, a liquid extraction system mounted to the cleaner housing, a liquid dispensing system, a rotatably mounted brush for agitating the surface to be cleaned and a motor operably connected to the brush for rotatably driving the brush. The brush is mounted to the recovery tank for rotation with respect thereto. Preferably, the motor is also mounted to the recovery tank. Typically, a handle on the cleaner housing is adapted for carrying and manipulating the extraction cleaner during use.
The liquid extraction system used in the various embodiments of the invention typically includes a suction nozzle having a nozzle opening, a recovery tank with an inlet opening and a vacuum source. The vacuum source is in open communication with the recovery tank, the suction conduit and the suction nozzle whereby the vacuum source can draw liquid and debris through the suction nozzle and the suction conduit and to the recovery tank in which the liquid and debris are deposited.
The liquid dispensing system used in the various embodiments of the invention is of the type which has a cleaning fluid supply tank, at least one spray nozzle having an outlet opening for spraying cleaning fluid onto the surface to be cleaned and a supply conduit interconnecting the cleaning fluid supply tank and the spray nozzle for supplying cleaning fluid to the spray nozzle. A pump, of the electrical or hand type, can be used for pressurizing the cleaning fluid in the supply conduit.
The agitation brush used in the various embodiments of the invention a is the type which is mounted for rotation with respect to the cleaner housing, preferably on the recovery tank. The agitation brush can rotate about a horizontal axis or about a vertical axis. Either type of brush can be powered by a turbine motor.